Finance Committee - 05/05/2021 Page 15
Ms. Brown
Correct.
Mayor Donchess
And until there were an aggregation plan and until the Board of Aldermen approves it, we could not embark on
Community Power until those steps were completed.
Ms. Brown
Yes and we both know according to RSA 53E we need to have a Public Hearing.
Mayor Donchess
And we would need to have a Public Hearing where we would take community input.
Ms. Brown
Yes.
Mayor Donchess
The other things that, of course, needs to happen which you mentioned a few times, but it has certainly
become an obstacle is the necessity for the PUC or some agency of State Government because now there
might be a new energy department or whatever to issue detailed rules covering some undefined issues
concerning Community Power in general. That needs to be done as well.
Ms. Brown
Correct.
Mayor Donchess
So we are waiting on them and there have been many discussions with the PUC and these towns and
Eversource regarding what form these rules might take, correct?
Ms. Brown
Yes, but we are hoping with adopting the JPA with a bunch of communities that we can act as a group officially
in that official capacity to be able to work through that rulemaking session with either the PUC or the
Department of Energy if that is the entity that has the rulemaking session.
Mayor Donchess
And do you think that the creation of this organization will give us leverage with the PUC to help persuade
them that certain rules need to be adopted that would assist in the implementation of Community Power.
Ms. Brown
It will give us leverage and organization as communities. Right now it is a mishmash like 148 people signing to
speak on something but everybody saying the same thing. So it is not as productive as a conversation. If we
are able to act as an official entity to the Community Power Coalition we will have a lot more leverage as
communities and have a singular message.
